The present invention relates to a friction clutch for automobiles, and more particularly, to a friction clutch including a small portion to be cut off for correcting unbalance of the clutch with respect to the center axis thereof in an assembly process.
Generally, a friction clutch for an automobile comprises a clutch disc having a friction facing to be pressed onto the flywheel, a control mechanism, i.e., spring/lever mechanism, for pressing the facing through a pressure plate onto a flywheel of an engine, and a clutch cover fixed to the flywheel and supporting the control mechanism. These members and parts rotate around a common axis, i.e., a center line of an output shaft. Accordingly, it is necessary to balance them around the axis for long durability and good performance of the clutch.
In a known assembly process, a balancing rivet (or rivets) is fixed to a clutch plate of the clutch disc or the friction facing is partially cut away for balancing the disc.
However, the balancing rivet causes unpreferable increase of the weight and inertia of the disc, and further, requires several steps in the manufacturing process.
On the other hand, in the method for balancing the disc by partially cutting off the facing, it is necessary to use a grinder, which increases the whole structure of an apparatus for correcting the unbalance. This method also requires several steps in the manufacturing process.
Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide an improved structure of the clutch, overcoming the above-noted disadvantages.